Process of generating and regulating the generation of power.



G. M. s. TAIT & c. ELLIS. PROCESS OF GENERATING AND REGULATING THEGENERATION OF POWER.

APPLIGATIQN FILED NOV. 14, 1905. v 998,655. 1 I Patented July 25,1911.

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- PROCESS OF GENERATING AND RBGULATING THE GENERATION OF POWER.

' APPLICATION TILED NOV. 14, 1905.

1 998,655. I Patented July 25,1911.

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1 MMJZ-q 3 UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE. l

GODFREY M. S. TAIT, OFIMONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, AND CARLETON ELLIS, OFWHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK.-

PROCESS OF GENERATING AND REGULATING THE GENEIB.A'.[IOI\I' OF POWER.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J uly 25, 1 91 1 Applicationfiled November 14, 1905. Serial No. 287,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, (ionrum' M. S. TAIT,

a British subject, residing in Montclair, [65- l z-tex county, hcw Jer.- ey,and CARLETOX ELLIS, t

5 residing in 'hite Plains, 'cstchester count y, New York, have inventeda certain i new and useful Process of Generating and Regulating theGeneration of Power, of which the following is a specification.

In Our invention relates to a process of regulating the development ofpower in internal combustion engines, apd particularly in enginesoperated on producer gas and similar gas of low or variable thermalvalue, or

comprising gaseous ingredients having quite 'diti'cient properties asregards self-ignition, fiame-propagation, etc.

The methods heretofore employed for regulating the operation of'internal combustion engines have all proved unsatisfactory. Thehit-and-miss method of regulation produces excessive speed fluctuations,so that it is entirely impracticable in many ases, and in many ofitsforms is extremely wasteful of fuel. All methods of regulating involvingvariation in the quantity of gas and air taken into the cylinder, suchas throttling and variable opening or closing of the admission valve(the latter method sometimes termed variable cutott') produce extremevariation in the compression pressure, such pressure increasing atdifferent rates'according to the total quantity of gas and air takeninto the cylinder. Such variation in compression is extremelydetrimental as regards economy, for it is well known that for highest.cllicieucy high compression is necessary, and obviously an engine whichat light loads compresses only 40 to relatively low pressures, isunecomnnieal at such light loads and low compression pressures.Variation of the compression is particularly detrimental, however, inthe case of engines operating on producer gas.

or similar gas of low or variahle thermal value. Such gases require highcompression to insure thorough and prompt ignition, or even to insureignition at all. If the engine be regulated by varying the total amountof fluid taken into the cylinder, it may easily, and frequently does,happen, that at light loads and low compression pres- ,sures ignition isuncertain or fails altogether. It is of course substantially im- 5practicable to supply a richer fuel'to an engine when operating at lightload than when operating atheavy load, and to do so would still furtherdecrease the etticieney at light loads. The extreme of this disadvantageof varying the quantity of fluid taken into the cylinder is experiencedwhen the engiue is supplied with gas by a single producer the only, orsubstantially the only, function of which is to supply gas to thatparticular ongine. Irregularities in the quality of gas.

furnished by the producer then produce their maximum etfect, and if ithappens, as is apt to be the case, that the producer furzishes thepoorest gas when the engine is running on light, load and with lowcon1prcs sion pressure, the engine is apt to stop.

When starting up such an engine also, the gas from the producer is aptto be of especially low thermal value, and since theengine is thenwithout load, usually, and its valve sear is adjusted so that thecompression is low, it is often ditlicult to start an engine operatingon producer gas. All of these ditlicultics we obviate by taking into thecylinder substantially the same total quantity of Fluid at all times,regulation being etl'ectcd by varying the richness of the charge byanlnulatically varying the amount of air admitted, or by admitting andsimilarly regulating a neutral diluent gas, such as products ofcombustion, but the total quantity ofthoreughly mixed gases or vapor andgases ad mitted always being the same. 'lheconipressieu is thensubstantially the same .at all b ads. To compensate for the variation inthe rate ofllame propa' aticu with varying amounts of air or neutraldiluent gas in the riiarge, we autmnaticallyvary the point ofpressionengines, it. has been noted thatfuels which are nothomogeneous as tocombustible ingredients are not as advantageous for engine purposes as,fuels containing substantially only one combustible, particularly inhigh-com ncssing engines- In such engmes, gases containing considerablepercentages of hydrogen appear particularly disadvantageous, thehydrogen being apt to ignite spontaneously during the compressionstroke, producing excessive back pressure tending to ignitespontaneously under high compression. When the gas used is homogeneousor nearly so, we may use air alone as the diluent.

The objects of our invention are, to regulate the development of powerin internal con'zbustionengines in an improved manner, to obtain highereconomy of operation at all loads. but particularly at light or variableloads, to avoid variation in the (our pression with variation in load orspeed, to prevent prc-iguition. to insure complete ignition, and topermit the use of. fuel of ow and variable thermal value.

In the accompanying drawings we illustrate apparatus in which our saidprocess may be carried out, the same comprising an internal combustionengine which in general is of ordinary construction.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a cenlral vertical sectional view ofthe engine; Fig. 2 is a side view and partial secti n of the feed pipes,mixing device, and automatic. regulating device; and Fig. 3 is a detailview of the mechanism for regulating the point of ignition.

In the said drawings 23 designates the engine cylinder, 22 the jackettherefor, 13 the clearance or compression space. 1:2 the piston, 11 theconnecting rod, and 14 the crank. V

1 and i2 designate, respectively, exhaust and admission valves, whichmay be operated by any suitable valve gear, that illusl rat cd comprising a rocking lever 4 operated, through suitable connections, by acan: 9, which may be understood to be driven in the usual way from thecrank shaft by means of gcaring.- 'lhe rocker 4 alternately presses infirst one of said valves and then the other, and is adjustablelongitudinally to vary the opening and closing of the. valves. Theoperation of this valve gear is obvious and requires no furtherdescription.

3 designates a com-'cntioual electric igiiiting device, operated by alink 16 from an eccentric on sh:- ft 18, which shaft may be understoodto be driven by suitable gearing from the crank shaft. as is common inengines of this type. p

6 designates the admission port of the cylinder, and 7 the discharge prt thereof.

-24 designates the gas supply pipe of the 1 engine, and may beunderstood to baconuccted to a gas producer of ordinary type.

25 is a pipe supplying the air for combustion and also for dilution ofthe charge for regulation. Said pipes are provided with ordinaryregulating valves, adjustable by hand, numbered 20 and 19 respectively.Pipe 25 terminates in a collar 5 surrounding pipe 24, the latter beingperforated within said collar, so that the fluid from pipei25 is mingledthoroughly with the gas entering through pipe 24. Regulation of theamount of fluid from pipe 20 flowing to pipe 2-} is etlcctcd by a valve21 operated automatically by a speed governor 8, which may be understoodto be drivenjrom the crank shaft or other suitable partof the engine.

This valve may also control a port 26, indicated in dotted lines in Fig.2, connected to a source of supply of products of combustion, such forexample. as the exhaust pipe of the engine.

T he eccentric on shaft 18 which operates the iguiter 3'through the link16, is engaged by a spiral spline 17 on said shaft, and an automaticgovernor 27, which will be understood to be driven from some moving partof the engine, such as the crank shaft, is arranged to move shaft 18longitudinally, thus varying the angular advance of the eccentric andthe time of ignition in accord ance with, and in exaetrelationto,variation in the amount of diluent admitted through valve 21, theadvance of the spark corresponding to the decrease in richness of themixture admit-ted.

The method of regulating the. develop ment of power is as follows:Supposing the engine to be operating under maximum load. valve .21 willbe substantially half open as regards passage of air from pipe 25 topipe 524, and a charge of maximum richness will cuter the enginecylinder during each admis sio'n stroke, and will there be compressed,ignited, and caused to expand. in the ordinary way. lf now the load onthe engine be reduced, the centrifugal governor 8 will open valve itstill further, admitting more air from pipe .55 to pipcfill, and alsoopening port :30 and admitting products of combustion, which mingle withthe air. and gas, diluting the latter and retarding the com bustion ofhydrogen and similar substances in the final ignition of the charge. Thetotal amountof fluid takcri into the cylinder remains the same,it'vi'ili be seen, whatever the load, and therefore the compression issubstantially the shutout all loads: but the richness of the charge willbe dcc e d,

The rate of "combustion lacing thereby changed, the governor 27automatically advances the point of ignition to compensate duce theamount of diluent admitted and will retard ignition to correspond withthe increased rate of combustion of the charge. It will be seen-therefore, that by theaction of the two automatic goi erning'devicesthe character of the charge and the point of ignition will be varied tosuit thelvoad on the engine and to maintain constant speed. withoutvarying the compression. \Ve are enabled. therefore, to employ very highcompicssion at light loads as well as at intermediate and heavy loads,and to employ fuel of low thermal value at all loads, the ignition ofsuch fuel bcingreiatively certain because of the very highcompressioncnr ployed. This compression we prefer to be from say 95 to16 atmospheres, preferably not below 11 atmospheres. At this highcompression mixtures which cannot be depended 'upon to ignite at lowerpressures ignite readily.

Producer gas such as we especially contemplate using has for itsprincipal conihustible cmistituent, carbon inonoxid; but many types ofproducers or generators of fuel gas produce large quantities of hydro-'gen as well, giving rise to the .prc-ignition trouble above mentionedwhen the enginc operates with high compression. 'hen the gasuscd contamslittle or no hydrogen,

3 we commonly employ air alone as the dilucut. it. being understood thatany excess of air mixed with the gas above that required for combustionis a mere diluent, and is substantially neutral. \Yhcn the gas usedcontains considerable quantities of hydrogen or other readily ignitinggases which tend to give ri-c to pro-ignition troubles. we preferabl vmix more or less products of combus tion with the air. Such products ofcombustion may be drawn from the exhaust pipe 'cf the engine, or fromthe stack of any conicnicnt furnace or the like. and are preferablycooled before being mixed with the air and gas. on account of thegreater density at low temperatures. The specific heat, by volume. ofproducts of combustion rela tively high, as ompared with air, and suchproducts exert a marked intlucnce tending to hold back the ignition oflrvdrogcn and like constituents which tend to ignit pr maturctv underthe conditions of neat and pressure prevailing in the engine cylinderduring compression; such holding back being due, probably, in greatmeasure to the presence of considerable quantities of carbon dioxid inthe products of combustion. Hy properly diluting the charge tocorrespcnd with the lead on the engine,. without varying the amount ofthe charge. by cor-re spondingly varying the point of ignition, and whenum ssary holding back the igniing greater miles-4 quantities tion byemploy of pr ducts of (OllllHIStlpll 1n the charge, we

are able to insure proper ignition, without so much combustion beforethe piston reaches the end of its compression stroke as results the,charge of an explosion engine is highly.

prejudicial. as tending to make ignition in regular or to prevent italtogether, and very often elaborate measures have been taken to producevery complete scavenging ot' the cylinder; but we have found that theob-.

jcctions heretofore found to unavoidable or unintentional retentlon of aportion of the products of combustion within the cylinder do not: applywhen the products of combustion are used in carefully regulatedproportions and are thoroughly mixed with the entering air and gas, butthat to the contrary very decided advantages result from the propermixing of suitably regulated proportions of products of combustion withthe charge, as before stated.

In the case of engines which operate by the injection of fuel into thecylinder or combustion chamber of the engine, the products of combustionfor diluting the mixture and retarding combustion will be introduced,ordinarily, with the entering charge of air.

' \Vhat we claim is 1. The process of generating power and of regulatingthe same, in internal combustion engines, which consists in drawing intothe engine cylinder successive charges of substantially uniform amountcomprising producer or like gas, air for combustion aml a diluent. gasall substantially uniformly admixed with each other, mixing outside ofsaid cylinder air and products of combust ion together to make theszlitl diluent gas of the charge and then mixing the same with thercn'iaindcr of the charge, varying the proportion of diluent in thecharges in accordance with the work required, compressing the mixture,and igniting the same at a variable point corrcs mnding to the. amountof diluent present.

2. The process of generating power and of regulating the same, ininternal combustion engines, which consists in drawing into the enginecylinder successive charges of substantially uniform amount comprisingproducer or likegas, air for combustion and a diluent gas all:-.-ubstantially uniformly admixed with each other, mixing outside ofsaid cylinder air and products of eombust ion together to make the said(lilaits ent gas of the charge and then mixing the same with theremainder of the charge, varying the proportion of diiucntin the chargesin accordance with the work required, compressing the mixture, andigniting the same ata variable point correspouding to the rate of flamepropagation through the mixture.

3. The process of operating and reguiating the speed of internalcombustion engines which consists in diluting and thoroughly admixingthe entering charge of mixed air and combustible with a diluent mixtureof air and products of combustion in variable amount to form a charge ofconstant hulk, compressing the diluted mixture and causingcombustionthereof. 4. The process of operating and regulating the speedof internal combustion engines which consists in diluting and thoroughly admixing the entering charge of mixed air and combustible with adiluent mixture of air and products of combustion in variable amount tomake a charge of constant volume, compressing the dilute-cl mixture andigniting the same at a variable point corresponding to the amount ofdiluent. v

5. The process of operating and regulating the speed of internalcombustion engines which consists in diluting and thoroughly admixing anentering charge of air and cmnbustihle with a mixture of air andproducts of combustion, in variable amount, to make a charge of constantvoiumc, compressing the mixture and causing the com- I I 4 bastionthereof.

6. The process of operatinginternal combustion engines which consistsjndiluting tron thereof.

7. The process of operating internal coinbustion. engines which consistsin introduc ing therein mixture of air and products of combustion with amixture of air and combustible uniformly admixed, and compressing themixture and causing combustion therein.

8. The process of operating internal combustion engines and regulatingthe speed thereof, which consists in introducing there in a mixture ofair and products'of com bustion, uniformly admixed with a mixture ofanand combustible, the products of combustlon being introduced invariable quantity according to the work desired, compressing the mixtureand causing combus tion therein.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afl'ix our signatures in the presenceof two it ncsses.

GODFREY M. s. TAIT. CARLETOX ELLIS.

\Vitnpsses:

Faun. 1. SMITH;

